Grads' Business Idea: A Mailbox Without Junk Mail

New Company Promises to Help Customers Stop Unwanted Deliveries

Dec. 13, 2010

Two recent UT Dallas graduates have gone into business to help clients stop one of modern life's greatest annoyances.

Former Student Government President Steven Rosson (B.S., Business Administration ’10) and McDermott Scholar Paul Ingram (B.S., Economics ’08) have created a company to eliminate the delivery of phone books, pre-approved credit offers and dozens of other types of junk mail for residential customers.

SlotGuard, the newly formed company, allows users to opt out of receiving junk mail and phone books by selecting pre-defined categories, or by listing individual mailers. It also features a “keep list” to continue mail from select companies.

In addition to the convenience, the service guards against identity theft and cuts down on eco-waste, SlotGuards' creators say. The service costs customers about $10 a year.

“I spent hours writing letters, filling out online forms and phoning customer service representatives,” said Rosson about his own experiences with eradicating junk mail. “I had trouble finding companies’ contact info and tracking the ones I’d already contacted. I thought there had to be a better way.”

According to the nonprofit group ForestEthics, Americans spend an average of 8 months of their lives dealing with junk mail, with a single year's worth of junk mail amounting to 6.5 million tons of paper.

“This is an opportunity for us to really make a difference to individuals and the world around us,” says Paul Ingram, CEO of SlotGuard Inc. “SlotGuard isn’t just about the convenience of an empty mailbox; it actually helps people.”